Canal Saint-Martin

The Louvre is the world's largest art museum and a historic monument in Paris. Originally a medieval fortress built in the 12th century, it became a royal palace before opening as a museum in 1793. Houses 38,000+ artworks spanning 9,000 years, including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory. The glass pyramid entrance (1989) is iconic. It's vast—you cannot see everything in one visit.

Musée d'Orsay is housed in a stunning Beaux-Arts former railway station (Gare d'Orsay, built 1900). It's the world's premier collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art: Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin. The top floor galleries feature Water Lilies, Starry Night Over the Rhone, and Ballet Dancers. The building itself—with its massive ornate clock and glass roof—is an artwork. Smaller and more manageable than the Louvre.

Musée Rodin is a serene sculpture museum in an 18th-century mansion (Hôtel Biron) with beautiful gardens. It houses the largest collection of Auguste Rodin's work, including The Thinker, The Kiss, The Gates of Hell, and Balzac. The sculpture garden is the highlight—bronze statues scattered among rose bushes and tree-lined paths. It's peaceful, intimate, and often overlooked by tourists rushing to bigger museums. Perfect for a calm afternoon.